living in love and harmony

New York state officials are hosting a free fishing weekend and an ice fishing clinic. The Department of Environmental Conservation has designated Saturday and Sunday as one of a series of free fishing weekends , with license fees waived. On Wednesday, DEC and the state parks and recreation office are hosting a free ice fishing clinic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Glimmerglass State Park on Otsego Lake. Anglers can expect to catch yellow perch and chain pickerel. Bait and tackle will be provided for…See all stories on this topic

Mercury Marine announces partnership with FELL Marine

MIAMI (February 16, 2018) —Mercury Marine announces an exciting new partnership with FELL Marine, a leader in marine wireless technology, to co-develop Mercury-exclusive wireless and IOT connected products that will seamlessly integrate with Mercury’s SmartCraft suite of digital technology (gauges, sensors, monitors, and vessel systems) to make boating easier, safer, and more enjoyable than ever before. Working prototypes of conceptual co-developed products will be demonstrated live, o…See all stories on this topic

Celebrities and media personalities took to social media to express their shock and sadness over a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida that left “many” dead and at least 20 injured on Wednesday. “What now?” asked singer Gloria Estefan, a Miami icon, on Twitter. “Yet again senseless misery is inflicted on the loved ones of innocent victims whose only fear should have been not being able to finish their homework.” Cubs player Anthony Rizzo, who graduated …See all stories on this topic

Duterte offers kill bounty for rebels to save on war costs

The Philippine president has offered a nearly $500 bounty for each communist rebel killed by government forces to save on anti-insurgency costs and says insurgents are easier to hit than birds because they have bigger heads. President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest crass remarks, which the government issued to reporters late Wednesday, came after human rights groups condemned him this week for saying troops should shoot female communist guerrillas in the genitals to render them “useless.” “You kill an NPA today and I’ll pay you 25,000” pesos, Duterte said in a speech at an air base in central Cebu city, referring to New People’s Army guerrillas. “I was computing that if this drags on for four years, … it’ll be very expensive because it’s war. If I’ll just pay 25,000 for a life, I can save about 47 percent,” he said to laughter from the crowd. There was no elaboration on how he came up with those figures and whether or how the government would pay for claimed kills. Backing up his offer, the brash-talking president encouraged state forces to go for the kill. “If you work really hard to crawl across the forest, you’ll surely be able to shoot even just one. If you can shoot a bird above you, then how much more an NPA whose head is so big?” the brash-talking Duterte said, again eliciting laughter from the crowd. Duterte’s incendiary remarks encourage government forces to commit war crimes instead of instilling a culture of accountability in accordance with international law, Human Rights Watch said. “Duterte’s pronouncements normalize the idea that government security forces can do as they wish to defeat their enemies, including committing summary executions and sexual violence,” said Carlos Conde of the U.S.-based rights group. The volatile president turned up the rhetoric against communist guerrillas after peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed last year when he protested continuing rebel attacks on government forces. When a rebel leader recently warned that the guerrillas could kill one soldier a day, Duterte countered by threatening to kill five rebels daily and offering to train tribesmen as militias and give them bounties to kill the insurgents. Duterte is already under international criticism and is facing a preliminary investigation by the International Criminal Court for thousands of deaths in the war on drugs he initiated after become president two years ago. He has lashed out in his response, including asking why the ICC was focusing on him when atrocities were unraveling elsewhere. “There are Rohingyas who are being slaughtered, but they only chose to indict me. OK, you asked for it, let’s have a trial. I will cross-examine you,” Duterte, a former state prosecutor, said, referring to the Muslims fleeing from violence and persecution in Myanmar.See all stories on this topic

Trump: I Am Opposed to Domestic Violence of Any Kind

Trump: ‘Totally Opposed to Domestic Violence’ With the White House still reeling from the Rob Porter scandal, President Trump finally addressed his stance on domestic violence on camera saying he’s “totally opposed to domestic violence and everyone knows it.” President Donald Trump at last broke his silence Wednesday to explicitly denounce domestic violence in the wake of allegations that a top White House aide had abused two former wives. Chief of staff John Kelly, under fire for mis…See all stories on this topic

Sweep targets street gang directed from California prison

Authorities arrested 31 people Wednesday who they said are connected to a violent, drug-running multi-state street gang directed from inside one of California’s most notorious prisons. The massive sweep by more than 750 law enforcement federal, state and local officers netted 29 suspects on drug and weapons charges across 10 Northern California counties. Two others were arrested in Pittsburgh and the Medford, Oregon, area. The operation was directed by two inmate members of the Northern Structu…See all stories on this topic

Trump breaks silence on domestic abuse, Kelly out of sight

President Donald Trump at last broke his silence to explicitly denounce domestic violence in the wake of allegations that a top White House aide had abused two former wives. Chief of staff John Kelly, under fire for mishandling the matter, stayed largely out of sight, his future in doubt and the White House in tumult. The chaos surrounding the departure of aide Rob Porter put a harsh spotlight on Kelly, the retired general who was brought on last summer to instill military-like discipline in th…See all stories on this topic

This week’s question to South Florida CEOs who are on the Miami Herald CEO Roundtable: Incidents of violence over the past several years haven’t been limited to public spaces. Has your company added or enhanced security measures recently in response to threats elsewhere? Why or why not? === To date, we have not employed additional security measures at the GHETC facility, but we believe that it is time to invest in heightened protection. We are in the process of evaluating surveillance syste…See all stories on this topic

Mexico: 2 missing police probably held by drug cartel

A chilling video apparently shows two kneeling, bound Mexican intelligence agents confessing supposed rights violations while surrounded by five masked gunmen pointing machine pistols and assault rifles at them. A federal official who was not authorized to be quoted by name said Monday the two men in the video are apparently the two agents of the federal Attorney General’s Office who went missing Feb. 5 in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit. The gunmen bear no identifying marks on their clothes…See all stories on this topic

‘I feel trapped’: Violence fuels fear among Myanmar Muslims

For four straight days last month, Rahim Muddinn watched, amazed, as Myanmar’s state-run newspapers published special supplements showing Rohingya Muslims accused of being terrorists — nearly 250 photos each day. For the 41-year-old Rohingya man, it was a surreal moment. He was born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city and far from the western state of Rakhine, where bloody military operations that followed Rohingya militant attacks in August have driven nearly 700,000 Rohingya into r…See all stories on this topic

White House response reflects obstacles facing abused women

When Jennifer Willoughby and Colbie Holderness stepped forward to tell the story of how they were physically, verbally and emotionally abused by their ex-husband, who had since become a top White House aide, President Donald Trump had nothing but good things to say about the man they had accused of domestic violence. Rob Porter “did a great job while he was at the White House. And we hope he has a wonderful career,” Trump said Friday, adding that the aide had vehemently maintained his innocence…See all stories on this topic

Police: Veteran cop fatally shoots domestic violence suspect

Police in Ohio say a veteran officer fatally shot a 25-year-old domestic violence suspect following a confrontation over the weekend. Columbus police on Monday identified the suspect and officer involved in the Saturday night shooting in the city’s Hilltop neighborhood. They say 25-year-old Steven Tyler Reed, of Columbus, was fatally shot by Officer Nathan Schwind, an 11-year veteran of the police division. Authorities say officers responded to a domestic-violence complaint at a home and were t…See all stories on this topic

California must consider earlier parole for potentially thousands of sex offenders, maybe even those convicted of pimping children, a state judge said Friday. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Allen Sumner preliminarily ordered prison officials to rewrite part of the regulations for Proposition 57. The 2016 ballot measure allows consideration of earlier parole for most state prison inmates, but Gov. Jerry Brown promised voters all sex offenders would be excluded. That goes too far, Sumner …See all stories on this topic

Man pleads guilty to brawl on flight on flight from Seattle

A Florida man who authorities say wielded a wine bottle in a brawl with flight attendants and passengers as he tried to open the door of a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to China has pleaded guilty to four felony charges. Joseph Hudek IV, 24, entered the plea Friday in federal court in Seattle to one count of interfering with a member of a flight crew and three counts of assault on an aircraft with a potential deadly weapon, The Seattle Times reported . The plea came after Hudek filed an a…See all stories on this topic

Huskers’ message to white nationalist: ‘Hate Will Never Win’

The Nebraska men’s basketball team plans to take a public stand Saturday opposing the views of a university student who calls himself a white nationalist in a widely distributed online video. Coach Tim Miles said Friday the team will wear T-shirts reading “Hate Will Never Win” at the game against Rutgers in Lincoln. Players also were making a video rejecting racism and hate to be shown at Pinnacle Bank Arena. “The No. 1 thing, our guys realize they are in a place to make a great impact,” Miles …See all stories on this topic

LePage says allegations about Sorensen never reached him

A spokeswoman for Maine Gov. Paul LePage says no allegations about domestic violence involving his former adviser David Sorensen were ever brought to the attention of the governor or his staff during Sorensen’s employment. Sorensen resigned his job as a White House speech writer Friday after his former wife accused him of abuse. He vehemently denies the claims. LePage spokeswoman Julie Rabinowitz says neither LePage nor his wife had any knowledge of a violent or abusive relationship involving S…See all stories on this topic

YouTube suspends ads from video star Logan Paul’s channels

YouTube has temporarily suspended all ads from video star Logan Paul’s channels after what it calls a pattern of behavior unsuitable for advertisers. In an emailed statement, YouTube said that the videos on Paul’s channels are also “broadly damaging to the broader creator community.” Late Friday, YouTube also updated a set of policies outlining new steps it could take against video creators who violate its guidelines. Those include shutting off ad support, deleting YouTube Original videos by th…See all stories on this topic

Thousands of Brazilians flooded beaches around the northeastern city of Salvador to pay tribute to the sea goddess Yemanja and ask for her protection ahead of Carnival celebrations. Even before dawn broke, devotees dressed in white and blue clothing brought offerings to the Praia Rio Vermelha, or Red River Beach, and then later to nearby Itaparica Island. They paraded toward the sea with baskets filled with red, white and yellow roses and other gifts, including ornately dressed dolls, mirrors, …See all stories on this topic

The lawyer’s account should’ve had $135000, the Bar said. It had less than $37.

Missing money, misused money and healthcare fraud put three South Florida attorneys on the most recent Florida Bar discipline report and out of the legal business for a while. The Miami-Dade and Broward attorneys most recently disciplined by the state Supreme Court, in alphabetical order: ▪ A December emergency suspension order yanked the license of Coral Gables attorney Francisco Aguero (St. Thomas Law School, admitted to the Bar in 2000) until further notice. The Bar said it pursued t…See all stories on this topic

Bill to create way to change gender designation clears panel

A panel of Utah lawmakers approved a Republican senator’s plan Monday to create a process for transgender people to legally change their gender designation through the courts, though not without some disagreement. The LGBT rights group Equality Utah said they’re concerned about some revisions in the bill, including a section that requires a person to live in state to make the change. “That’s unconstitutional, you cannot deny out-of-state residents a benefit,” said Cliff Rosky, a member of Equal…See all stories on this topic

MDX Loses Toll System Lawsuit; Total Costs for Debacle Could Reach $78 Million

For five years, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority insisted it was not at fault for the botched open road tolling system that began in 2010, a debacle the authority claims cost it millions in potential revenues. Instead, it blamed its contractor, saying Electronic Transactions Consultants Corp. misled MDX about its abilities and intentionally underbid the contract to design, develop, install and operate the toll enforcement system. ETC sued MDX in 2012 for breach of contract and bad faith, cla…See all stories on this topic

Cities, states ban bump stocks after push stalls in Congress

In the immediate aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, there was a fevered pitch to ban bump stocks, the device that allowed the shooter’s semi-automatic rifles to mimic the rapid fire of machine guns. With that push stalled at the federal level, a handful of states and some cities are moving ahead with bans of their own. Massachusetts and New Jersey — two states at the time led by Republican governors — as well as the cities of Denver and Columbia, South Carolina…See all stories on this topic

A British judge is scheduled to rule Tuesday on Julian Assange’s bid to force Britain to drop a warrant for his arrest, a development that would remove a substantial legal hurdle to his leaving the Ecuadorean Embassy in London that has been his refuge for more than five years. The legal issues surrounding the WikiLeaks founder’s case are complex: ___ WHAT IS BEING DECIDED TUESDAY? Assange’s legal team argued in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Jan. 26 that a U.K. arrest warrant for Assange sho…See all stories on this topic

Report: Lawsuits cost Missouri taxpayers $23 million

Lawsuits against the state of Missouri cost taxpayers at least $23 million last year, according to a new report from Attorney General Josh Hawley. A year-end report from Hawley, a Republican, showed that 16 of the 45 major payouts were related to employee discrimination, including six from cases involving workers at the Missouri Department of Corrections, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported . The report found the state paid out nearly $8.1 million in claims for employment discrimination and ha…See all stories on this topic

Ohio Village Might Someday Pay Back $3 Million To Drivers Ticketed By Speed Cameras

Legal arguments, aside, the details of New Miami’s speed cameras were grosser than normal, as the town of 2,500 signed a contract with Optotraffic, a Maryland firm that supplied the cameras, which gave the company 40 percent of the fines from the cameras, leaving New Miami with the rest. “Since the …See all stories on this topic

Couple uses law to take possession of abandoned home

A Reno couple used a little-known law to take possession of an abandoned home in an older, upscale part of town where similar brick, Tudor-style homes are selling for more than $400,000. Vickie and Jeff Francovich paid $6,500 in delinquent property taxes on a home in Reno’s Newlands Heights Historic District and started fixing up the home to move in, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported . The cost of the repairs and taxes was more than the house was worth when they found it in 2012, Vickie Francov…See all stories on this topic

Five-hour standoff in Little Havana ends with no hostages, no weapons, no arrests

A woman who told police she was held inside a Miami club against her will, and that there were up to a dozen others still inside, set off a five-hour standoff Monday afternoon in which streets were cordoned off, schools were placed on lockdown and snipers readied on rooftops. In the end, no weapons were found, there were no hostages and police said only three people were ever inside Joseph’s Restaurant in Little Havana. Police continued to interview the trio into Monday evening about possible…See all stories on this topic

Now that a judge has struck down Florida’s archaic system of restoring the right to vote to convicted felons, the real legal battle begins with a big unanswered question. What’s the solution? In a landmark decision, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled Thursday that Florida’s Jim Crow-era vote restoration system violates the United States Constitution. Florida is one of three states, along with Iowa and Kentucky, that permanently strip convicted felons of their civil rights, including th…See all stories on this topic

US prosecutor: Oregon has big pot overproduction problem

Oregon’s top federal prosecutor said Friday the state has a “formidable” problem with marijuana overproduction that winds up on the black market and that he wants to work with state and local leaders and the pot industry to do something about it. U.S. Attorney Billy Williams convened the unprecedented summit of influential federal law enforcement representatives, state officials and marijuana industry scions after Attorney General Jeff Sessions withdrew an Obama administration memo that had guided states with legalized weed on how to avoid federal scrutiny. The meeting included representatives from 13 other U.S. attorney’s offices, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S. attorneys from California, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, Alaska and Montana attended in person. Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, told guests that Williams has assured members of her administration that “lawful Oregon businesses remain stakeholders in this conversation and not targets of law enforcement.” The marijuana industry has been watching federal prosecutors in states with legalized weed like Oregon closely since Sessions rescinded the so-called Cole memo. U.S. attorneys in states where marijuana is legal under state law now face the delicate question of how to do their jobs and hew to the federal ban. Williams sought to calm fears among pot growers, but said the market has a problem that must be addressed. Everyone needs a “bottom-line answer” on how much excess marijuana is being produced and how much of it winds up on the black market, he said. Williams last month wrote a guest column in a newspaper in which he said the surplus attracts criminal networks and generates money laundering, drug violence and draws down water supplies in rural communities. “Here’s what I know in terms of the landscape here in Oregon, and that is, we have an identifiable and formidable marijuana overproduction and diversion problem,” he said Friday. There is general agreement that marijuana from Oregon does wind up in other states where it isn’t legal. Still, it’s hard to say if pot smuggling has gotten worse in Oregon — where illicit pot farmers were thriving long before recreational legalization — or how much of the marijuana leaving the state filters out from the legal side. Williams has previously said law enforcement in 16 other states have reported seizing marijuana from Oregon and postal agents have intercepted more than 2,600 pounds of pot in outbound packages and over $1.2 million in associated cash. Advocates dismiss the idea that legalization has caused a spike in black markets sales. It’s just that now, because it’s legal, it’s much easier to track it back, they said. “When I moved to Oregon in 1979, cannabis was a billion-dollar crop then, so the notion that this is somehow caused by legalization or by the medical program is something that’s misplaced,” said Leland Berger, an attorney who specializes in marijuana cases. Oregon did not cap the number of recreational pot producers, virtually guaranteeing an overproduction problem, said Seth Crawford, a former Oregon State University professor who’s an expert on marijuana economics and cannabis policy. He estimated Oregon growers produce up to three times the amount of marijuana that the state can absorb legally each year. “If you were an investor and you had just dropped $4 million into a (marijuana) grow and you had thousands of pounds of flower that was ready to go but you had nowhere to sell it … if you want any of your money back, the only thing you can do is sell it on the black market,” he said. “It was a system designed for failure.” Oregon voters approved the sale of recreational marijuana in 2014, and it became legal the following year. The state has allowed medical marijuana since 1998. It now has about 900 licensed recreational growers, with more than 1,100 licenses awaiting approval. Another roughly 25,600 growers in the state produce cannabis for medical marijuana patients. More than 500 retailers are licensed to sell recreational weed, with nearly 250 applications pending.See all stories on this topic

Election official vows to update voter registration forms

The top election official in Delaware is pledging to update voter registration forms amid complaints that the state’s documents violate federal law. Campaign Legal Center is a Washington-based voter advocacy group. It says federal voter registration forms used in Delaware contain outdated information about the eligibility of felons to vote in state elections. Delaware Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove says the advocacy group is correct. She tells the News Journal of Wilmington that “we will …See all stories on this topic

The Latest: Legal Oregon pot businesses ‘not targets’

The Latest on a marijuana summit convened by U.S. Attorney Billy Williams in Oregon (all times local): 11 a.m. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown says the top federal prosecutor in Oregon has assured her that he will not target legal marijuana business in the state. Brown made the remarks Friday at a summit convened by U.S. Attorney Billy Williams on how to address a surplus of marijuana that’s winding up on the black market. Williams announced the unprecedented meeting of nearly 80 federal, state, local a…See all stories on this topic

Hawley: Greitens’ social media records can remain private

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens does not have to provide the state attorney general with records related to his social media accounts such as private messages and names of blocked users. The Kansas City Star reports that the office of Attorney General Josh Hawley said in a letter this week that the governor’s Twitter and Facebook accounts are not public records. Both Greitens and Hawley are Republicans. The Star also reported that Hawley’s office on Thursday announced it found no open records viola…See all stories on this topic

The most contentious piece of President Donald Trump’s new proposal to protect the so-called Dreamers has nothing to do with them. It’s the plan’s potential impact on legal immigration that sparked fierce Democratic opposition Friday and appeared to sink chances for a bipartisan deal in Congress. The proposal outlined Thursday by the White House would end much family-based immigration and the visa lottery program, moves that some experts estimate could cut legal immigration into the United Stat…See all stories on this topic

This needle-exchange program is saving lives in Miami-Dade. Now it could be coming to Tampa Bay.

For 13 months, the University of Miami doctor and medical professor and a team of staffers have been exchanging used needles for clean ones as part of a five-year pilot program in Miami-Dade County to cut down on the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases among drug users. Each syringe is more than just pennies: It’s one less opportunity to spread disease and one less chance to injure someone who might come across discarded needles in the street, Tookes says. It also means on…See all stories on this topic

UPS Store clerk caught on video kicking out client who didn’t speak English

They say that you can get by in Miami even if you don’t speak English, but you can’t get by without Spanish. Not all Miami residents like that linguistic imbalance. Some don’t talk about their discontent, some whisper it and a few say it loud. That third group may include a young UPS Store employee in Kendall, which has a good-sized Hispanic population. He is seen in a video recorded as he launched a xenophobic attack on a client who wanted a refund for a package she claimed was never del…See all stories on this topic

David Beckham can finally see the goal in Miami, and his Major League Soccer team is about to be born. The soccer icon and his group of partners announced plans for a news conference Monday, saying they will make “an important announcement on the future of soccer in Miami.” Beckham is ready to draw his first Miami crowd, too: The event at a downtown arts center will be open to fans. MLS, which will stream the event live on its website, said they were participating in what will be “a special ann…See all stories on this topic

Scientists say a North Atlantic right whale has made another appearance in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. The Naples Daily News reports that charter boat Capt. Robert Holzinger was fishing with customers about 3 miles from Naples on Monday when they spotted the endangered whale. Mote Marine Laboratory expert Gretchen Lovewell says it appears to be the same juvenile right whale spotted near Panama City Beach on Jan. 15. The last right whale spotted in the Gulf was in 2006. Female r…See all stories on this topic

Some top New Orleans chefs weigh in on fisheries bills

More than two dozen chefs, including some of New Orleans’ finest, are asking members of Congress to shoot down bills that would change fisheries management, which they say could lead to overfishing. “While claiming to ‘modernize’ and ‘strengthen’ fisheries management, they increase the risk of allowing overfishing to occur,” said the letter signed by 26 chefs, including eight James Beard Award winners or nominees. Most of the restaurants are in New Orleans, but they include two in Lafayette, on…See all stories on this topic

ACC Miami Basketball | Miami’s Lonnie Walker Floats For Tying Layup Late vs. Louisville. Miami star freshman Lonnie Walker IV proved why he was a 5-star recruit Wednesday night against Louisville. Down 2 with under :10 seconds to play, Walker drove through the lane, hung in the air, and switched …See all stories on this topic

Maine shutting down scallop areas to protect harvest

Maine fishing regulators say they have shut down a few areas to scallop fishing, including parts of the state’s most fertile scalloping ground. The Maine Department of Marine Resources says it has shut down Johnson Bay and Eastport Breakwater in the Cobscook Bay area. Cobscook Bay is the most important fishing area for Maine scallopers. The state says it’s also shutting down Casco Passage, which is in the northwest corner of the Swan’s Island fishing area. Officials with the marine department s…See all stories on this topic

ACC Miami Basketball | Miami’s Chris Lykes Drops A Dime To Dewan Huell For Monster Dunk. Miami freshman Chris Lykes showed off his dynamic passing ability against Louisville Tuesday night, dropping a dime to Dewan Huell. Huell took the dish, cocked back and rocked the rim for an impressive …See all stories on this topic